VCU news

By Leila Ugincius

Market 810 at the Shafer Court Dining Center already wins awards for its wide array of cuisine from vegetarian and vegan selections to home-style and comfort foods.

But once a month it goes beyond the usual fare to offer authentic, culturally diverse cuisine that students might not otherwise seek out.

Through its Guest Restaurant program, VCU Dining Services invites local, minority-owned businesses to serve their most popular entrees at the Fan Fare Station in Market 810.

The purpose of the Guest Restaurant program is twofold, said Rebecca Jones, marketing and public relations manager of VCU Business Services.

“First of all, it helps bridge a gap between the VCU community and minority-owned local businesses,” she said. “It also exposes our students to authentic, culturally-diverse cuisine that they otherwise don't have daily access to in Market 810 or that they may not take the opportunity to try. We wanted to help students gain awareness of understanding of different food and cultures because cooking styles are a source of pride and distinction for different areas of the world. It is not only a means for survival, but it is also a form of art.”

Response to the program, which started in 2008, has been overwhelmingly positive from both students and the restaurants.

“Each time that we have a guest restaurant, a pretty long line forms around the Fan Fare station,” Jones said. “Because the restaurants are very close to our campus, we have received feedback that students will go back to the restaurant after trying a meal here. The restaurants can serve at least 1,500 meals in one afternoon, which is more than some of them serve in an entire week.”

Since joining the guest restaurant program, workers at Elephant Thai, a student favorite, have noticed a surge in VCU customers.

“Sometimes we know that people that went to our station at Shafer came back here because they ask for the dishes that we served there,” said waitress Tanya Smith, explaining that the restaurant sometimes serves different dishes at the dining center than what’s on its usual menu. “We’re happy to be [a guest restaurant], especially when we see how much the students support us when we’re there.”

Guest Restaurant Participants Basilis (Greek), coming soon Elephant Thai (Thai) Jamaica House (Jamaican) Mama’s Kitchen (Korean) Ruchee (Indian)

Guest restaurants are chosen based on types of fare that students have expressed an interest in trying. If a restaurant is popular — based on amount of food sold and old-fashioned student feedback — it will be invited back. Jamaica House, Mama's Kitchen and Elephant Thai, which was February’s guest restaurant, are among the favorites that have been featured guest restaurants numerous times. This semester, a local Greek restaurant, Basilis, will join the rotation.

The program goes beyond just broadening the palates of students, Jones said. It also increases diversity awareness: “Each month during the semester, food from different cultures becomes a social occasion and a way for students to celebrate cultural diversity on campus.”